Block-signal system.



No. 882,523. PATENTED MAR. 17 1908.

P. E. KINSMAN. BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.

\ APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1904.

%15 5 e2:ll c 5 10 ii! T FRANK E. KIN EMAN, OF PLAINEIELD, NEW JERSEY.

sLocx-s'r'eimr. srsrnm.

No. 832,623. I Original p m-m ma December 8, 1903,

Specification of Letters Patent Serial No. 1 84 ,268. Divided and this application filed November 29, 1904.

Serial No. 234,781.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Toali whom it may concern:

' j installed, the third-rail Be it known that I, FRANK E. KInsMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of. New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Imp Systems, cation,

This invention relates to system for controlling the movements of e ectr'ically-propelled cars or trainson a line of way, and especially to a-safety system'for roveme'nts in Block-Signal of which the followingis a specifia block-signal electric railways, such as third-rail systems, chiefly; 1n large cities and are' which are use i a constant source ofdanger because of the exposed characterof the working and return conductors. I-n such systems, as ordinaril track-rails,

and any person walking onthe track must exercise extreme care in order to avoid steppin on the third-rail or working conductor an the track-rail which constitutes a part of the return circuit and thereb receiving the full working current through the shortcircuit-formed by his bod Such third-rail systems are chiefly use on elevated structures, such times as the erwise and the passengers may desire or be compelled to leave the car or train and make their way along the tracks to the nearest sta- I tion. At such times especially, there is, so

systems.

far'asapplicant is aware, no means now employed .for preventing the short-circuiting of and return conductors by passengers un amiliar with the operation of third-rail "systems. is also present whenever an accident occurs not due directl to stepping on the working and return con uctors, as is evidenced by the l e number of fatalities in recent collisions an other accidents on elevated third-rail In my system I reduce the danger a minimum by so organizing the system as to make it impossible for a person to form a short-circuit by walking on the exposed working conductor or third-rail and the track-rail nearest thereto, and 'I accomplish this by'providing a return path for the current ata point relatively remote'from the working conductor or third-rail. This return path may be formed by'any suitable conductor which will constitute with the other elements factor to third-rail.

is close to one of the son unless extra e and are most dangerous at the principal line of way may be temporarily-blocked because. of an accident or othl electric railway condition and is adjacent thereto The danger 'of accident application, Sena all the figures of the of the system a complete me tallic circuit instead of a circuit having an earth return as in the systems now in use. -I' prefer, however, to

,third-rail, this return feeder being unconnected with the track-rail adjacent to the By so or will be extremely di cult for any one, even intentionally, to form a short-circuit by step,- pin' on the third-railand a track-rail, as no sue short-circuit will be formed by stepping onthe third-rail and the track-rail adjacent thereto, and the distance between the thirdrail and that track-rail which constitutes a part of the return circuit is so great as to preclude the spannin orts to do so aremade. The use of a metallic return conductor for carrying the Working current in an electric railway system renders it feasible to make use of a portion of this current as a means for controlling in an exceptionally favorable manner the operation of danger-indicating devices or signals, such, for example, as the signal devices of a block-signal system; and feature of my present.-inven tion is the provision in connection with an system, of an electricallycontrolled device which indicates a danger governed by the power circuit, this device being preferably in a branch of the power circuit having a metallic return and so organized that such branch will be short-circuited by the movement of a vehicle on the line of way. The, present ap lication is a division of my N 0. 184,268, filed Decemher 8, 1903.

Other features of my invention not hereinbefore referred to will be hereinafter de-' scribed and pointed claims and 'are illustrated i drawings, in which igure 1 1s a diagrammatic view of an elecin the accompanybodymg my invention and having a metallic return conductor. Fi 2 is a detail illustrating one mode of e ectrically connecting areturn feeder to one of the track-rails.

Similar characters designate like parts in drawing. In carrym my invention into eiiect it should be un erstood that I may appl it to any existing type of railway system, w ther anizing the system it of the same by any perout in the appended trio railway system or third-rail system emtained in a conduit, or anyother type of conductor'for'su plyingcurrent to a rnotor'on' a vehicle trave mg on a line ot way. I have,"

however, illustrated the invention inconuection with a third-rail system forthe rea son that this is the most dangerous, so far as 1 the-short-cireuiting' of the same by anindicuit on the Ivehicle, and the axles, wheels,

- and track-raillof that side of the line of way vidual is; concerned. The track-rails of a line of way are indicated in F ig. 1 by 1' and 1-, andthe working conductoror-thirdrail, I

, tallic circuit: ,,Not' only is such-a system is shown at t; working. c'onductonqr.

third-rail will receive current in the, usual,

5 manner from outgoing feeders-1 (not shown) leading from a suitable sourceof supply, and. from this third-rail .currentqwill be taken-by asuitable current-collector, such as 8, carried on the vehicle, one axle of which is indi- 2O shoe sthe:currentforoperating the vehicle will pass throughthe usual circuit on theve- Y hicleandwill leave the vehicle in the usual manner through'the axles and wheels thereof.v Iii these diagrams only the field-coils3 and the armature 4L of the circuit on the ve hicle are "shown, all'of'the other elements ordinarily contained in such; a circuit being omitted for the sake of simplicity and clearnes's. It should be understood," however,

that this circuit from the current-collector.

or shoe to the'axles and wheels of the vehicle or train may contain any or all of the devices ordinarily in use in electrically-provehicle the circuit in my present system follows a somewhat different course, ;even through the wheels, than it does in the ordinary electricrailway system. The reason for. this is that only 'a single track-rail is connectedin or forms art ofthereturn path for the current as it eaves the vehicle. The track-rail which does form part of such return path is in this case the track-rail .1 remote from the third-rail t, and the track-rail 1" does not form any part of such return path, Where as invthe usualsys'tems havingan earth re -turn.the-current passes. to, earth through bothtrackerails, and the system may be shortcircuited by step )ing on the third-rail and on the railm. n my improved system,-

however, it will be seen that a short-circuit can not be established. between the rails 't and? and that the'lifeof a passen or or em- 'ployee Willnot be in danger unlesse bridges.

the gap between the rails -t and r". These rails are so far apart that it is almost impossible to establish such a short-circuitby stepping onthem. Hence a. person Walking on afielevated structure or any other embodying a' third-rail system "in which the third-rail is located outside the track-rails will run practically no riskfro'm' the hightension current, in 1 such systems. The me- 5 tallic r'eturn 'circuit may be established energy or power-house and constitutes with the outgoing feeder (not shownl -the thirdrail t'conn'ectedto such outgoing feeder, the

- third-M11 System18 known;- to applican cated at 2 From the current-collector or -.connection5 for each'blo'ck'.

' will preferably be a controllingftrack-circui pelled cars or trains. v From the axles of the.

fed by current ironrs'uchpower circuit;

danger-indicatirigdevice or signal device :movable core. Q'This el'ectromagnet is n or branch'circui'tvfrom the thirderail to the through any" suit fble return conc'luctor, connected at suitable intervals and by suitable conductors, such as 5, to the track-rail 7" reflrno te from the" third-rail t.

This return feeder 0 passes directly back to'the source of traveling current-collector or. shoe s',"-the iii-r remote from the third rail m complete-m exceptionally safeone, ascomp'a'red with a but it is also a much more economical sys tern in" operation, because of the" gre ater con ductivity of the .metallic return circuita's compared with the ordinary earth returns InFig lg-l'have also illustrated-how dangar-indicating devices may be operated by current from-the power circuit; and-partied larly how improved safetyfelectric railway system or third-rail system may be;util'- ized or combined with a c'orrtrollin'g system; such, for example, as a block-sign a'l system. For. thisreason the track rails-r and 7 are di-" yidedinto blocks byssuitable' insulation in-" dicated at i; and the returnzconductor or feeder is connected to the traclgrail ri'nost remote from the third+railJt by at least 0 e 3 Any suitable typeof"corrtrolling circui maybe governedby' thepower. circuit,but ii this construction the controlling track-c cuit is also a hlock-circuit and is'adapted t be short-circuited by the entrance of a vehi-' ole into the blockot su'ch-block circu'it: 'Th'e which may be a block-signa'l silch -as "the semaphore l5,"may also be governed b'y-this' controlling, circuit in any deslred' manner; 1

but WVlll preferably beuincluded directly in 'j 'iq; the controlling circuitfwhichis shown as a" I branchof the'power circuit, this branch be ing connected from: the working conducto I I or third-rail t to. one or both of'the track rails, preferably toboth, asshown herein; A-suitable resistance 'may, be inter osed in this branch circuit at ltfbetween t a third rail and the track rail ry, while the-operating means for the signal or'semaphore 1 5'is 'ir'i' that'portion of the branch circuitlbetween l the two tra'ck-rails. ,The "ineanjs'for yopera-t r ing'the signal device is 'shown' 'as. ar'ifelectro; v magnet. and may have either a fixed-for mally in'ciro uit with theresistanceflt end constituteswith said resistance and th track-rails and theconductor '5' a complet turn conductor, which branch circuit is :viously normallyclosed to' 'ener'gizethe el'ec- 'deenergized in any manner, either by the interruption of such branch circuit or the short-circuiting thereof, to indicate danger. Each of these fixed branches is located at the beginning of a block, and when an axle of a car or train entering a block is onthe rails of the block section including such branch circuit the branch circuit is short-circuited between the points of connection 20 and 21 with the track-rails and remains short-circuit-ed until: the last axle of the'train leaves such block, the resistance of the signal-controlling portion of the branch circuit between the points 20 and 21 being so adjusted as to be greater than theresistance of the shortci'rcuit through the track-rails of the block and theaxles and wheels bridging the same. Immediately on the short-circuiting of a signal device 15 the signal moves to the danger position shown in the second .block in F ig. 1.

.The particular construction and mode of connecting the metallic return conductor-or feeder 0 may be varied within wide limits, but I have shown the return feeder in Fig. 2

as aco )per bar mounted directly on thetrac-k-rail r and connected thereto at suitable intervals by a conductive connection, designated generally by 5, the main element of which may be a screw-bolt 5 preferably having a round head and held in'place by a clamp-nut or check-nut (or both) such as 5", also preferably round, the round head of the bolt-and: the round nut or nuts' having peripheral openings 'or recesses for receiving a pin to turn the same. This conductive connection 5 is preferably insulated at all points where it is not in contact with the feeder 0 or with; the track-rail r, the insulating inaterial being so disposed as to constitute an air-tight, and especially a' water-tight, casing or seal for preventing electrolysis between the co )per and iron or steel elements so connecter This I regard as an important feature of my invention, and I'have shown at 6,

7 and S res )ectively an insulating washer between the ieeder and the track-railfan insulating washer between the track-rail and the nut 5", another insulating washer between theffeeder and the head of'the connecting bolt 5,'an insulating cap 9 covering the head of the bolt, and an insulating cap 10 inclosing the threaded end of the bolt and the nut or nuts thereof, the two caps 9 and 10 being preferably threaded over. and into engagement with the washers 7 and 8. Any other suitable means may be employed, however, for conductively connecting the track-rail with the returrrfeeder and surrounding with an air-tight and water-tight casing the con- 7 tacting iron and copper surfaces. 7

My improved electric railway controlling system may be applied in various ways for governing different kinds of danger conditions and for indicating such danger conditions in various ways to an approaching car or' train. One important app ication of it is to the automatic stopping of a car or train when it reaches-a point at which a danger condition is indicated, but this a )plication of my invent-ion constitutes the SIllJJGCt matter of a separate application filed by me Decentber 1, 1903, Serial No. 183,387, and is not claimed herein. i

\Vhat I claim is: 1. The combination with a line of way and with an electrically-propelled vehicle movable therealong, of an electrically controlled device for indicating a danger condition on the line of way, a power circuit governing themovement of said vehicle and embodying a continuous working conductor through which workin current normally flows continuously arm which is. ermanently connected with a track-rail t irough a current reducing device for supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit, and a controlling circuit fed by current from 7 the power circuit and governing the electricallycontrolleddevice.

2.- The combination with a line of way and which workin current normally flows continuously and which is ermanently con-- nected with a track-rail t 'ough a currentreducing device for supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit, and a controlling circuit fed by current from the power circuit and governing the electrically-controlled device and adapted to be short circuited by said vehicle. ,i

3. The combination with a line of way and with an electrically-propelledvehicle movable therealong, of a signal device on the line of way, a power circuit governing the movement of said vehicle and embodying a coh- :20 tinuous working conductor through which working current normally flows continuously and which is permanently connected with a track-rail through a currentreducing device for supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit, and a signal-controlling circuit fed by current from the power circuit.

4. The combination with a line of way and with an electrically-propelled vehicle mov-- able therealong, of a signal device on theline 13aof'way, a power circuit governing the movement of said vehicle and embodying a continuous working conductor through which Working current normally flowscontinuously. and which is permanently'connected with a track-rail through a. current-reducing device for-supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit, and a normally closed signal-controlling circuit fediby current from the power circuit. r; 5. T he comb'nationwith a line of Way and i with an electrically-propelled vehicle movable thereal ong, of a signal device on the line of way, a power circuit governing the movefm'ent of said vehicle and embodying a con-' 'tinuous working conductor through which Working currentnorrnallyflows continuously and whichis permanently connectedwith a track-rail through a current-reducing device for, supplying controlling currentto a. controllin circuit, and a normally closed signal contro ling circuit fed by current from the power circuit and including both track rails.

power circuit and including a track rail.

' 6. The cornbinationwith a'liiie of way and with an electrically-propelled vehicle movable therealong, of a signal device on the-line jof way, a power circuit governing the movement .of said vehicle and embodying a continuous' working conductor through which 301 Working current normally flows continuously and which is permanently connected with a track-rail through a current-reducing device for-supplying controllingcurrentto a con- ;trolling circuit-and a normally closed signalcontrolling circuitfed by current frornthe 7. The combination with a line of Way and with. an -electrically propelled-- vehicle movable therealong, of an electricallyicontrolled' device for indicating a danger condition on the line of way, and a power circuit govern- '-ing the movement of said vehicle and embodying a continuous Working conductor I through' which working current normally flows continuously and whichis permanently connected with a track-rail through a ourrent-reducing device for supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit andy'hav ing a controlling branch governing said electrically-controlled device.

8. The combination with a line of way and with an electrically-propelledvehicle movable ther'ealong, of an electrically-controlled 1 device for indicating a danger condition on ing the movcment ofsaid vehicle and em-- the line of way,' 'and a power circuit governs 'bodying a "continuous working conductor through which Working current ngrmally I fiows continuously and which is permanently? connected witha track-rail through-a current-reducing {device for. supplying con'- trollingjcurrent' to a controlling circuit and having-f-ercontrolling branch locatedf'wholly onthe line of, way and governing said elec-.

" trically-controlled device.

trically-controlled device.

th' a line of Way ceases 9. The clombination with a line of way and with an e ectrically-propelled :vehicle mov-" able therealong, of an electrically-controlled a device' for indicating a danger condition on the line of way, and a power circuit governing the movernent of said vehicle and em.-

tbodying a continuous working conductor through which,working current normally flows continuously and which is permanently connected with a track-rail through a current-reducing device for supplying control ling current to a controlling circuit, and hav- I ing a controlling branch adapted to be shortcircuitedby said vehicle'andgoverning said electricallycontrolled device.

10. Thecombinationwith I and with a'n electrically-propelledvehicle :movabletherealong', of an electrically-con trolled device for .indicating a danger con dition on the line o f wayranda ower" c'irv 'cuit governing the 'rnovement '0 said vev hide and embodying-a continuous working conductor through which working' currentno'rinally flows continuously and which is permanently connectedjwith a track-rail I so a line of way through a currentreducingdeviceforfsupplying'contro'lling current to ja controlling circuit and-having a controlling branch [in-1 eluding a track-railfand governing-said elec 11 The" comb'nation: W1

an with -yan electrically-propelled vehicle movable therealong, of an electricallyfcon trolled device forindicatingadangercon-' 1 'dition on the line of way,' and a o'wer circuit governing the n 'ovement o said v e:-

hicle and embodying a continuous working conductor through which Workingcurrent normally flowslcontinuously .and'which is permanently connected" with a track-rail through a current-reducing device for-supplying controlling current to a controlling circuit. and having acon tro'lling'branch connected amwopoints to opposite track-rails and governing said electrically-controlled tween said'points.

device and adapted to be short-circuited be- 1:

'12. -In an GlBCi/IIC' railway system em- I bodying track-rails; the combination with:

an electrically-pro elled vehicle movable along said track-mi s, of an 'electrically c.on-- trolled device for indicating a danger condi;

'tion on the line of way,=an d apower circuit including a metallic 're'turn conductor gov;- erning the movement 'of, said vehiclejand embodying a continuous workingfconductor through which Working currentnormally vices, and :1

end

ai'ndwitli an electricallv-propelled vehicle O electrically-controlled device for indicating a danger condition on the line of way, and a. power circuit governing the' r'novein-cntmf said vehicle-and embodying a continuous Working conductor through which working current normally flows continuously and which is permanently connected with 'a tra'cl orail through a current-reducingdevice for supplying controlling current to controlling circuit and also governing saidielectricallywontrolled deviceond including, a metallic return feederconnected with'one of saidtrack-rails. .;14'.' in an electric railway system ernbodying track-rails; the combination with en electriwilly-propelled vehicle niova-hle along i said track-rails, of: block-signal dc-:

power circuit including a n1e-z tall icv'return conductor'and governing the movement of said vehicle and embodying a continuous working conductor through which working current normally flows continuously. which is permanently connected with a track-reilthrough a currentrreducing device for supplying controlling current to econ-- trolling circuit atnd 'l'iavingbranclies. constitutin; bl ock-signel circuits .15. The combination with a line oflway movable theroalohg, of an QlGCtIlCZlJllY-COlltrolleclrlewce tor indicatlng a danger cond t on on the line jot way, a} power "cncui'tl fgoverningthe movement ofsaid vehicle and emb dying I a continuous working conductor through 'wl connected with e' t-I'ELCkrIfill throughe cur rent-reducingdevice for supplying controlling current ton controlling circuit, and a; controlling circuit fed by power circuit and constantly in circuit with both sides of the power circuit and govcrning the electrically-controlled device.

' 16, .The combination with o line of no and with an electrically-propelled vehicle movable therealongbofe signal device on controlling]circuit fed by power circuit and constantly nrclreultwitn both sldes of the power circuit.

the line of ay, a power circuit governing the movement ofslld' vehicle and embodying a continuous Working conductor through v wh ch working current normally'jfiows 'co'Iitinuou'sly end which is permanently con-- nected with ,& track-rail tirough a currentreducing device for supplying controlling currentto a. controllingcircuit, and a signal- Signed atINew, York, -in"t lie county of New York, end State of New'York, this 28th day of November A. D1904.

' FRAN K E. *IK INSL IAN. Witnesses: v

EDGAR' A. FELLOWS, C. SJCHAMP ONL.

I iich working current normally flows continuously and which is permanently curren t from the 6 current from the. 

